Lake Joe Cruise Sunday Sept. 6
07th September 2020
A Sunday Afternoon in Muskoka
By Tim Du Vernet
Sunday afternoon on a long weekend brings many things to this lakeside play land. In a region where it is possible to see countless Lamborghini, Bentleys and Range Rovers in a day, speed limits are a mere suggestion for sport bikes and cars, jet skis leaping over wakes, helicopter landing pads that would put an airport to shame and beautiful points obscured with another real estate investment, there is the legacy of wooden boats.
Spanning generations and coming in a variety of forms and sizes, the wooden boats of Muskoka continue to be a dependable constant in our history. Acting as current custodians, wooden boat owners come and go, but there is a duty to ensure a boat will survive in an authentic form.
I understand that John Bosomworth had the good idea to inspire a Sunday afternoon cruise on Lake Joseph. There had been two cruises on National Vintage Boating Day on the lakes of Muskoka, one on Lake Muskoka and one on Lake Rosseau, but nothing had been organized for Lake Joseph.
All it took was a couple of emails and at Sunday afternoon at 2:00, approximately 30 participants gathered on the Rosseau side of the Joe River to begin the cruise. Long deck launches, sport runabouts, utilities and a cabin launch made their way into the Joe River for the cruise up the river, into Lake Joe and the return to Port Sandfield.
There was a festive spirit in many of the filled boats, with hands waving and cheers as they travelled under the bridges. It was the opportunity to be seen and to share wooden boating fun.
Many well-known boats came out such as Wiggwassan III, a 1924 Ditchburn owned for many years by Rick and Karen Terry. Her distinctive lines accented with the white oak gunwales, was clearly visible from the bridges. The 1928, 34’ triple cockpit Minett-Shields, Flying Lady was another one of my favourite boats. Ian and Dianne Turnbull came in their 1960 Duke Utility. I also caught site of WASAN, a 1927, 27’ Ditchburn. There was also a Riva, a Greavette sport utility, a triple cockpit Gar Wood sport runabout, what I think was a Century utility style with bright turquoise green upholstery and a Greavette Streamliner or two. A quick account would suggest around 30 boats had joined in.
It is always impressive to see an armada such as this from a distance. The boats in great numbers, moving along gracefully and politely navigating channels and their wakes and waves. I heard that another cruise may be planned for later in September. It might be the perfect way to enjoy autumn’s colours.
By Tim Du Vernet
Sunday afternoon on a long weekend brings many things to this lakeside play land. In a region where it is possible to see countless Lamborghini, Bentleys and Range Rovers in a day, speed limits are a mere suggestion for sport bikes and cars, jet skis leaping over wakes, helicopter landing pads that would put an airport to shame and beautiful points obscured with another real estate investment, there is the legacy of wooden boats.
Spanning generations and coming in a variety of forms and sizes, the wooden boats of Muskoka continue to be a dependable constant in our history. Acting as current custodians, wooden boat owners come and go, but there is a duty to ensure a boat will survive in an authentic form.
I understand that John Bosomworth had the good idea to inspire a Sunday afternoon cruise on Lake Joseph. There had been two cruises on National Vintage Boating Day on the lakes of Muskoka, one on Lake Muskoka and one on Lake Rosseau, but nothing had been organized for Lake Joseph.
All it took was a couple of emails and at Sunday afternoon at 2:00, approximately 30 participants gathered on the Rosseau side of the Joe River to begin the cruise. Long deck launches, sport runabouts, utilities and a cabin launch made their way into the Joe River for the cruise up the river, into Lake Joe and the return to Port Sandfield.
There was a festive spirit in many of the filled boats, with hands waving and cheers as they travelled under the bridges. It was the opportunity to be seen and to share wooden boating fun.
Many well-known boats came out such as Wiggwassan III, a 1924 Ditchburn owned for many years by Rick and Karen Terry. Her distinctive lines accented with the white oak gunwales, was clearly visible from the bridges. The 1928, 34’ triple cockpit Minett-Shields, Flying Lady was another one of my favourite boats. Ian and Dianne Turnbull came in their 1960 Duke Utility. I also caught site of WASAN, a 1927, 27’ Ditchburn. There was also a Riva, a Greavette sport utility, a triple cockpit Gar Wood sport runabout, what I think was a Century utility style with bright turquoise green upholstery and a Greavette Streamliner or two. A quick account would suggest around 30 boats had joined in.
It is always impressive to see an armada such as this from a distance. The boats in great numbers, moving along gracefully and politely navigating channels and their wakes and waves. I heard that another cruise may be planned for later in September. It might be the perfect way to enjoy autumn’s colours.